A Little Too Soon?
by Andorian Ice Princess-AIP
Summary: After a very tense shift Casey & Severide try bond over a few beers, talking about their heated showdown with a crazed gunman & a special project. But what is Casey really hiding from his friend and before the night is over will Severide suspect the real truth? Was it too soon for Casey to come back? Based on eppy 2.011 'Shoved in my Face' Contains some spoilers


**Title: A Little Too Soon?**

**Summary: **After a very tense shift Casey & Severide try bond over a few beers, talking about their heated showdown with a crazed gunman & a special project. But what is Casey really hiding from his friend and before the night is over will Severide suspect the real truth? Was it too soon for Casey to come back? Based on eppy 2.011 'Shoved in my Face' Contains some spoilers

**Disclaimer: **Chicago Fire and its characters are the property of Dick Wolfe, NBC and….well sadly not me if so then the ever yummy Lt. Casey would be all mine and we'd have a few sweet broments EVERY single eppy!

**A/N:** Okay so first off yay Casey's alive! (lol yes said in sarcasm b/c did any of us really think he'd die? No) secondly its a its lame that Casey's back to work so soon. We know that Casey will have a few setbacks (gosh hope they don't drag this angry/sudden rage storyline out) and of course you know how anti-dawsey I am so this will be only bromance-centric(b/c we never get enough!)! Now you all know I am of course writing a current Casey recovery story 'Never Give Up' which is based off the fall finale and AU b/c of the surgery and recovery process I put Casey through (well both had surgery hehe) so I'll try to have these one shots a bit different so my stuff doesn't overlap. So hope that's okay and makes sense lol! And hope you all like this and thanks!

_Note: "Words in double quotes and italics taken directly from the eppy"_

* * *

They had worked together long enough for Severide to know Casey's sometimes not so subtle and sometimes silent nuances; like what a new plan of action entailed just by the way he walked or carried himself. Stubbornly coming back after a month of mandatory recovery time and telling everyone he was okay was…in character but only served to frustrate Severide as he knows, Casey would never put a man in the field if he wasn't sure he was in near perfect condition. _What the hell…he's back too soon…_Severide's mind inwardly growls as he hears the rest of the teams welcoming back their absent friend and Lieutenant.

"Good to be back," Casey nears Severide with a friendly smile.

"Back…early," Severide nods as he embraces Casey for a few seconds and pulls back with a tense smile. "You sure you're okay?"

"Oh yeah I'm fine," Casey tries to shrug it off. "A month at home doing nothing? Couldn't take much more," he retorts with a small chuckle. "How are things here?"

"Fine. Matt…"

_"Hey I'm fine. Doc gave me a clean bill of health."_

"Okay but if the first call is too tense…"

"This coming from the guy who on his first shift back after a month off…"

"Okay, okay," Severide gently chuckles. "But my shoulder injury wasn't as serious as a head wound."

"I'm fine," Casey tries to convince him as he pulls away to join his team.

_Typical Casey, _Severide's mind inwardly groans. Worried more about his team and the house than himself. _And what if he pushes himself to hard and suffers a setback? And what if that setback puts himself or other's in harm's way away…or someone entirely innocent?_

"Sir…" Severide walks up to Boden with a concerned expression.

"Couldn't force him to stay home Kelly. Doctor's cleared him for duty," Boden replies in truth as Severide turns to watch Casey with a tight lipped glance. "But…" Boden's voice pulls Severide's glance back to him in wonder. "Maybe just keep an eye on him."

"Still think it's too soon."

"Noted," Boden nods as he pulls away and goes to talk to Casey about his return. Severide watches a few more minutes before he turns and heads for his team, easing himself down into a nearby chair and trying to focus on whatever the day's headlines were to offer.

Hermann makes a lame joke and the rest of the teams start to engage in some friendly banter. Severide watches Casey and tells himself that he'd better keep an eye on his actions during the day, not knowing that Casey would become a master of hiding an emotional firestorm – maybe even from himself.

It's not long before they are put to the test with a tense call; the first one since Casey's recent return.

_"Engine 51, Ambulance 61, Truck 81, Squad 3, car accident…"_

Severide watches Casey head for his gear and slightly hesitate, giving his head a small shake before he pulls on his boots and then continues with the rest of his gear.

"Hey boss you with us?" Capp slaps Severide on the back, forcing him to look up with a tense smile and then hurry into the front of the squad truck.

"Yeah! Course," Severide retorts with a strained smile as he slams the door shut. He catches Casey's concerned expression in his side mirror and frowns; Tony looking over in wonder. "Just thinking about my class coming up."

"You'll do fine."

Severide offers his team a small smile and then tries to settle back in his seat for the rest of the way but with his mind torn between concern for Casey and wondering what his first class of candidates would be like, settling was almost moot. Thankful for the professional distraction, he gets out of his truck and hurries toward Shay as she exits the car with the impaled driver.

Casey gives Severide a firm nod, hoping that the pounding in his temples clears long enough for him to think straight and then act properly to save the young man's life. _Now is not the time for a damn relapse! You lied to the doctor but you can't lie in the field – it could cost lives!_

_"The only way he's coming out is if we cut the rebar on either side," _Shay tells them matter of factly.

Casey looks up just as Severide looks over, and notices the look of almost wondering concern but tells himself that it's just a typical Severide glance and get down to business. _He's just checking…get to work and focus. You can do this._

_"Can you stabilize the guy?"_

_"Right," _Casey agrees as he hurries toward the passenger seat of the van as Severide starts to work to cut the rebar from the outside.

_"I don't want to die."_

_"Jeremy, you're not going to die. You need to fight through this. In fact, if you do there's a six pack in it. Come on, let's do this."_

All the while Casey is telling the young man to fight and hold on, he hears Severide's words echoing in his mind, at the fiery scene, in the ambulance ride…at the hospital. _'Come on Matt…fight…you can pull through this but you need to fight.'_

The call finally ends and he pulls back from the blaring sirens with his heart pounding a bit more painfully in his chest and his head slightly dizzy.

_"Welcome back lieutenant," Hermann slaps him on the shoulder. _

Casey leans back against the other car, watching his team for a bit and then Severide come into clear focus. He gives his concerned friend a tight lipped smile and then slowly heads back to his own truck, his mind racing to remember the combo to his locker at work. _I know it…it's…ahh damn this is stupid! I know my own damn locker combination!_

But as the truck pulls into the bay, his mind now almost dreads going back into the locker room to change or get the fresh undershirt he has locked away. Plan B would now be put into action. Casey does a quick check over his shoulder before he hurries toward the area in the small medical room he stowed his backpack at the start of shift and hurries to change, his fingers scribbling out a note to stop and pick up a new lock and then bring some heavy duty metal cutters the next day. _That's cheating, _his mind reminds him. _You never told the doctor you were having some memory loss or blurry vision…you came back under false pretenses. _But that self-perjury would have to wait as he wasn't about to go to Boden and tell him he was having some slight physical issues, as he would be sent right back home on forced medical leave until he was completely healed. _I hated being off…I'm fine._

He takes the plans for the new construction project he was working on with Kelly and heads into the mess hall area and lays the plans out and starts to look at them, wanting to keep himself occupied and his mind dwelling on something more than his current medical plight.

"Hey," Severide casually walks up to Casey, Casey looking up with a friendly smile.

"Hey," Casey replies as Severide looks down at the plans on the table.

"So that's it huh?"

"That's…it."

_"How long to make it?" Severide inquires._

_"Everyone chips in? About three weeks," Casey replies in truth._

_"I don't have a whole lot of construction experience," Severide tosses out with a small smirk._

_"Can you swing a hammer?" Casey retorts as Severide chuckles._

_"I get it. This is your chance to be my boss and yell at me on a job site?"_

_"Well. Yeah. That's true, I won't deny that. And in the process we get to make this. All we need is the space to work," Casey concludes with a small frown._

_"I got a buddy over at the boatyard that probably has a dry-dock that'll work," Severide suggests in truth._

_"Then we're off and running," Casey agrees with a smile of confirmation._

But as Severide watches Casey a bit more he notices fleeting wince; a small motion lost on most but not lost on those trained to look – a concerned friend looking for something that was out of the ordinary. And then…he sees it. _Call him on it…that was a wince of pain? Something…_

_"Hey you good? No aftereffects or anything?" Severide asks in concern._

_"Never better," Casey answers almost too quickly, brushing it off with a tight lipped smile and shrug. _His mind prays for a quick miracle as he knows if Severide stares too long or starts to push, he's liable to break down and tell him the truth. He could keep it from almost everyone else, but Kelly…telling him was almost comforting…relieving – necessary. But…at another time. This time, Mills answers that prayer, asking to talk to Kelly and the moment is broken – at least for now.

Casey watches Severide leave and tells himself that this is just a temporary setback and things would be better tomorrow. But as he pulls away from the desk his brain reminds him that this is something more serious and he needs to get it looked at – by a professional. _It'll be better tomorrow,_ Casey tries to convince himself, ignoring the small gnawing throb in the back of his head, resonating outward from the nearly covered surgical scar and being felt all the way down through his spine, down to his toes. _Suck it up, I'M FINE!_

XXXXXXXX

But the next day, he wakes up the same…blurry vision taking a bit longer than normal to clear and things to come into clear focus, throbbing head and heart pounding a bit louder in his ears and heavier in his chest. As he enters the House, his steps once again follow the same path as the day before, casually but determined, his eyes darting around, looking for Severide mostly as he knows Kelly will ask the most damning questions. Once he's sure the coast is clear, he does something he hasn't done since high school – he cuts his own personal lock. _This is wrong…so wrong…_his brain warns him as he quickly shoves the busted lock and their offending weapon back into his knapsack, pulling out a new lock with the numbers carefully written on a small slip in his wallet and then shoving the new lock in place, angrily locking it and then heading back out to join his team. _You need to tell someone!_

He catches Severide's good morning nod and nods back, his lips however, utter a small grumble when feels his inner agitation growing at his own lingering side effect from the injury. _It's just temporary….focus on work and try to avoid any emotional triggers that…set me off? Why the hell am on edge more than normal? Angry over a damn lock? Over anything! What? Calm…deep breath and calm…_

"Casey!" Mills calls out, forcing Casey's eyes to pull away from the breakfast line and look at his team member. Severide watches Casey's jaw tighten and his posture stiffen and tries to shrug it off, telling himself that his friend is back after a month off of doing practically nothing work related and it was just first shift jitters. _Or…was it too soon? He's fine…_however as soon as his brain utters those little words, he knows…they're a lie. _Casey isn't fine._

Severide looks at his watch and slowly pulls away from the team, the Chief telling him a group of his candidates was set to arrive and he wanted to greet them when they did. He heads into the large truck bays and hears Cruz and Otis talking about something in a low tone but doesn't pay it much heed, his mind overly occupied with work and Casey. _Just keep an eye on him and if something is out of character – call him on it. _Yeah…easier said then done.

_"Hey," Severide turns upon hearing Casey near him. "I secured my buddy's dry-dock for the three weeks."_

_"Awesome," Casey returns a tight lipped smile. "Hermann and Boden are in."_

_"That's great."_

"Yeah."

But as Severide studies his friend's expression, the tight jaw, tense frown and stiff posture he knows something isn't quite right. "What else is going on?"

"With what?" Casey tries to push back.

"I don't know…you seem on edge or something," Severide gently suggests as Casey gently shrugs it off.

"Trying to remember all my truck drills," Casey smirks as Severide's expression softens and he smiles. "I'm looking forward to bossing you around on the site."

"Yeah don't let that get to your head," Severide retorts as they both share a casual chuckle, the feeling of friendly camaraderie that they share was threatening to show through. "But hey you know if the boss is a tyrant we can always strike."

"Do that and it's game over."

"For who? You gonna enlist some oompa loompa's to help build this thing?" Severide tosses back as Casey laughs.

"Anyone but Charlie himself," Casey replies as he leans on the front of truck 81 and frowns.

"Hey man what's up?" Severide asks seriously.

"Just a bit tired. Kelly…it's nothing. Really."

"Think you'll be able to stay awake long enough to finish off a couple of beers after shift? It's been a while since we just…"

"Hung," Casey interjects as Severide nods in agreement. "Yeah I think I can do that."

The friendly banter is quickly suspended as the new candidates arrive and then the call to a fire alarm at a jewelry shop. Casey's mind settles somewhat as he rushes for his gear and gets into the front, giving Cruz a nod to get the truck moving and then looking forward to some downtime after shift with his friend; something, Severide was right, they hadn't done in over a month, since just before the accident sidelined him.

_"I don't see the fire," Severide states as he looks at Casey in wonder._

_"We'll check it out just in case. Mouch you're with me," _Casey dictates, telling the others to wait outside just incase something escaped them and needed to be tended to. But once inside, he pulls away from Severide and heads into the back room, his senses instantly going off that something wasn't quite right. He hears one of the female workers sputtering about a false alarm going off but looks at Mouch and tells him to get a thermal reading. Then all hell breaks loose. The fire is in the walls…behind the safe and the three men aren't utility workers – they're robbing the damn place.

_"On your knees!" _One of the gunman demands to Casey and Mouch.

_"You too Mr. Fireman," _the other gunman shouts at Severide in the other room. Severide slowly complies, his mind once again torn with the safety for the other hostages in the room with him and that of Casey tangling with the other two and possibly sustaining further injury. _Casey…damn you better just…_but he knows his thought is moot as much like himself, when the opportunity presents itself, he'll try to take the gunman out and save the hostages. But at what cost?

Suddenly another player enters the scene – one with a lot more clout and power than all of them combined. The beast itself.

_"Smoke!"_

The fire finally makes itself known and much like its highly touted résumé – it takes no prisoners and shows no mercy. One of the gunmen from the backroom, where Casey, Mouch and a female hostage were, takes off; rushing past a kneeling Severide and coughing violently as he tries to escape. Severide's gunman follows suit. _I gotta….damn it Casey! Hurry up! _His mind growls as he knows he has to get the innocent hostages out first; the smoke was filling up the small windowless space to fast.

"Casey! Heading out!" Severide shouts, wanting to show him that he was okay and on his way out with the three with him. _He better be right behind me._

_"It's over!" _Casey shouts as the gunman continues to hold the frantic woman in his grasp, while the smoke and fire gain momentum behind him and Mouch; taunting at them to linger a few moments longer and feel its wrath.

_"Here, take her!" _Severide directs to Shay and Rafferty as he turns back to the black smoke billowing out of the narrow opening to the building. He helps the other two clear the exit and pauses for a few seconds…._wait_…_was that…a gunshot? No…_but with the sound of the sirens, excited chatter, street noise and of course the crackling from the fire, the distinct noise should have been more discernable. _Casey! _But just before he can think about rushing back inside to help Casey and see just what was going on and causing the delay, Mouch comes toward him, supporting the female employee, Casey right behind with the nearly limp gunman in his grasp.

"What happened?" Severide asks Casey in concern.

"We handled it," is all Casey states flatly as he pushes past and heads toward his team. But Severide catches something else…a look of worry from an unlikely source. _Mouch? What happened in there? What's going on? Matt?_

As soon as they reach the House, Severide notices Casey literally shove off his gear and then storm toward the locker room, Mouch hanging back for a bit but then following. So he does too. He carefully hovers just outside the entrance and listens. Mouch was on about something.

"What was that back there Lieutenant?"

"Nothing to worry about Mouch," Casey replies firmly.

"That was a bit aggressive though, don't you think?"

"We had to end it quick Mouch, end of story."

"He was down after one punch. The others…were a bit excessive."

"He could have gotten back up. Look adrenaline took over and I acted. The situation ended. End of story. We good?"

"I don't know, are we?"

"We're fine."

Severide listens to the rather odd conversation. _What really happened in there? Did Casey disarm the shooter? Did he shoot at Casey? And then did Casey…beat him? No…he…he wouldn't do that. _But as much as he likes to think of his close friend as the mild-mannered peacekeeper at all times, he knows that Casey's temper does flare and has caused him to act rashly on occasion. _But it's usually over something personal. But this? A gunman? A stranger? Just beat him out of the blue?_

Severide hangs back as Casey and Mouch finally disperse at Casey's urging. He watches Mouch exit first, heading toward the teams and just shaking his head; Casey exiting a few moments later, cursing under his breath. _Something's up…damn…something's wrong._

With his mind full of steam over letting his temper get the best of him in the jewelry store, Casey heads toward the small gym in the back, wanting to box out his frustration. But as he enters, his vision slightly blurs and he just stands in place, emotionally defeated. He has no energy left and trying to find some to strike the bag with seems moot. Thankfully an intervention occurs.

"Hey man, you ready to go?" Severide asks Casey, deciding to just play it casual and pretend of course that he didn't hear anything.

"You know…"

"Come on. You look like you need a break," Severide urges as his hand rests on Casey's tense shoulder, physically pulling him from the room. "Let's go to Rick's just down the street."

Casey looks at Severide in near defeat but gently bows his head and nods in agreement before he follows Severide out of the room and literally out of the entire building.

"So…tense call back there," Severide starts as Casey nods in agreement. "Glad you and Mouch got that guy and that woman out okay."

"Was certainly tense for a few moments," Casey replies in some truth.

"But it was odd because I thought…I thought I heard a gunshot. But figured since you didn't say anything to Boden, it was nothing to worry about," Severide concludes firmly as they both pause for a few seconds in their walk; Severide looking at Casey directly. "There was nothing to worry about right?"

"Nothing," Casey tries to brush it off.

"Did he shoot at you?"

"He…fired off a shot. Kelly it was no big deal, we had the situation under control," Casey tries to justify. "Time was moving fast and the fire was trying to get the upper hand. You saw there were no windows and…and we handled it."

"I'm sure you've heard this already, but if there was an issue…"

"With what?" Casey asks flatly.

"You being back a little too soon."

"The doctor cleared me and that should have been good enough even for you. You know second thought, maybe this isn't…" Casey starts to turn away in a huff.

"Hey hold on a sec," Severide quickly pulls Casey's arm back, turning him around to face him once more. "You know you'd call me on it, so I'm returning the favor."

"What do you want to know? Did he shoot at us? Yes. Did we handle it? Yes. Did we get both them and ourselves out unscathed? Yes. Everything is fine. End of story."

Severide hears Casey's rushed confession and looks at Casey's nearly pleading expression to drop it and feels his shoulders slump.

"Look I know you're worried but I'm fine," Casey insists. "First few days back after a month off and there's bound to be a few tight spots right?"

"Matt…"

"I'm tired and a bit stressed from the whole situation but I am fine. Kelly…I'm fine," Casey insists as his brain yells at him for lying directly at the face of someone who cares for him. _You can trust Kelly….tell him the truth! _But that well sanctioned notion isn't given it's justice and the lie is allowed to flourish. "I'm fine."

"I'm not about to go rushing to Boden because this is your life and your team and you know as well as I do that if we're not one hundred percent out there it could cost lives and be on our heads and I know you don't want that. But if you feel…I don't know…just not like you, you know you can trust me right?"

"I know," Casey offers a tense smile as he nods. "I know that Kelly, I do and thanks but um…but I'm fine. Really."

Severide knows that it's now time to drop the issue or suffer another bout of tense arguments, in which one of them this time walks away for good and the once pleasant evening is ruined by two hot egos trying to duke it out for emotional supremacy. There would be no winners tonight as both were on the losing end of that battle; Severide still highly suspecting that something wasn't quite right with Casey, and Casey doing everything in his power to convince Severide otherwise. So the war would be put on hold until it could be fought another night. _I just pray he tells me before something really bad happens, _Severide's mind ponders almost fatefully. _Can't lose him…not after all we've been through. _He knows…he might take a bit more of a passive stance tonight, but he wasn't about to back down; Casey's life was worth too much to him. If he saw another issue, he'd call him on it again…and again…and again if necessary to ensure that Casey was being honest and if something wasn't right he'd get the help he needed and deserved. Even if that help had to come by force.

"Okay…so since you're buying…" Severide grins as he slaps Casey on the back and they finally continue on their intended destination.

"What? Me?" Casey retorts with a weak chuckle as he shakes his head in defeat.

Inside he knows he hates lying to Kelly. _It's not right…he has the strength to help you and won't judge…you can trust him no matter what, you know that, _his brain tries fervently to remind him. _Use his strength…let him help you! He cares and only wants what's best! _But that brotherly sentiment is pushed to the fore by a small lie that grins at the truth as it comes to the fore. _I'm fine…it wasn't too soon. _But he knows he can only keep the outside charade in front of Severide going for so long before something naturally gives. Somehow submitting to his friend wasn't as scary as to anyone else, but right now…he was fine and that was the story he as going to stick by.

The two of them finally enter the small diner, taking their usual booth at the back; the conversation now switched to the upcoming construction project, the mood starting to lift and the tension dissipate in favor of friendly banter and genuine smiles.

However…an emotional storm was brewing…gaining strength and momentum and not backing down. Waiting…

**THE END!**

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**A/N:** Okay so a few weeks without one shots and I hope I'm not too rusty! I did like Casey going to see Jeremy as promised with the beer but I'm sorry in my books, if he shares a beer with anyone its going to be Kelly. Yup left it a bit open ended to see how this plays out and where I can take my boys in these but I hope you like this little piece and would love your thoughts, so please do review before you go and thanks so much!


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